The Hansons and many of their friends were having a party. At this call, the chatter died down and Isaac wrapped his arm lovingly around Belinda.
"Belinda and I have decided to get married."
At this there was chapping, cheering and congratulations all around. Belinda beamed, brandishing the gorgeous engagement ring on her finger that she had somehow managed to keep hidden until then.
"Hey, congrats bro," Taylor smiled.
"Thanks," Isaac smiled back.
Looking at him now, no one could possibly believe that a scant six months ago this same Taylor had been depressed to the point of suicide.
"When's the wedding?" asked Mel.
"I only asked her yesterday!" Isaac laughed. "No idea."
"Oh," Mel giggled.
"And you didn't tell us, Ike?" asked Zac. "You didn't even think to tell me and Tay that you were gonna asked Belinda to marry you?"
"Actually, I did consider it," Isaac admitted. "But I decided not to."
"Obviously."
"Aww, is poor Zacky's feelings hurt?" giggled his girlfriend, Cherry.
"Yes," he said decisively, but he was shaking his head 'no'.
"I propose a toast!" Taylor announced, tapping his glass. "To Isaac and Belinda."
"To Isaac and Belinda!"
Isaac grinned and Belinda smiled shyly.
**********
When Taylor finally went to bed that night, it was late. He expected that the moment he put his head on his pillow he'd do straight to sleep.
But the moment he put his head to his pillow, he felt like someone was whispering things to him.
"Look at him. Look at Isaac," it said, "he's getting married and you're not. Why should he have a great relationship with a woman and not you?"
There was a taunting laughed and Taylor rolled around, wrapping his pillow around his head so that he wouldn't have to listen to it.
But his dreams that night were filled with memories of Olivia, Wendy, and Moira. How Olivia abused him. That day when Wendy told him she was a hooker. And the day when Moira left his life.
Taylor woke up that morning with hardly a wink of sleep.